Extreme feeding response

[Coldblood]

So baron my ball has been a good eater for the 4 mounths I have had him. He eats every time there's a mouse in front of him. I take him out of his enclosure and put him in a small tub. Go out the mice in the sink and soak in hot water. When I come back I put them down I front of lamp to keep them warm and open his tub . He use to shy away a bit but took the mouse after doing the zombie mouse dance. Now for some reason as soon as I open the lid he begins snapping at anything with a heat signature.... This includes my hands and me in general. Today he raised out of the tub and started snapping at me. He even got in between me and the mouse. He is always docile when I handle him but is seriously dangerous on feed day. On Mondays he waits in the top corner of the cage by my door and waits there all day. I'll get him out of his cage and into tub. My question is would feeding him in his normal enclosure help or make him like that all the time. If I even bring a frozen mouse in the room he instantly gets snippy. I'll try and get video of him so toucan see just how crazy he is lol.

[bcr229]

Sounds like he's learned that being handled = being fed. This is why I feed mine in the enclosure. Also, if he's been eating regularly for 4 months and putting on size/weight then a mouse may not be a big enough meal for him any more, and it's time to transition to rats. At least with that kind of feeding response it should be an easy switch.

[200xth]

Mine did that a couple of times when I was first feeding FT and trying to get the logistics down.

Open tub. Hold rat with tongs. Drop rat by mistake.

Flicker of the tongue...Something smells like a rat. There's something emanating heat. It must be a rat. I'm gonna get it.

Only the rat is behind her and I'm figuring out how to get her back in the tub she's climbed halfway out of with this very intense look on her face.

[satomi325]

If he's normally docile, he's probably really hungry. Maybe he needs larger prey?
And feeding in his own enclosure will not make him cage aggressive. Actually moving him to a separate feeding enclosure is more likely to get you bitten than feeding in his enclosure. He associates being moved(your hand) leads to being fed.

Most people here (myself included) feed our animals in their own enclosures with no ill effect. None of my are cage aggressive. But I do get the occasional hungry female that comes straight at me looking for food.
If you are afraid of him taking a snap, just use a paper towel roll or rolled up newspaper to gently direct his head away from you as you pick him up.

[Crazymonkee]

It is not needed to put them in a separate container for feeding. There are actually more cons than there are pros.
Feed in the enclosure and yes prey size should probably be upped.

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[Coldblood]

Ok I'll add some info he dose get to mice per feed an he weighs 230 grams. The pets ore dosnt have rats in his size just babies and he is good about being handled as long as it's not Monday/feeding day. He is still a young little guy. But I actually fed his second mouse in enclosure and didn't have much problem aside from dropping the mouse and him seeing my hand rather then mouse maybe I'm just not gettin them warm enough

[Coldblood]

I just resonantly upped him to 2 mice = to 25 grams for a 230 gram ball that seem pretty good size or should I up some more

[satomi325]

Are you using tongs or forceps to hold the mouse? Or are you holding the prey with your hands?

[Coldblood]

Tongs of course he just seems to look right bast the mouse and go for my hands

[Crazymonkee]

He smells the mouse but your hand is warmer... heat the mouse a lil more before offering and keep to feeding in his enclosure

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